'It is an iconic symbol': Métis local wants Sask. RM council to turn over Red River cart

Aishwarya Dudha · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 12, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A Métis radical is pressing the Rural Municipality of Kellross, Sask., to instrumentality a Red River cart, an iconic Métis symbol.

Members from Lestock Métis Local #8 presented their lawsuit astatine the RM of Kellross assembly gathering Friday morning. The RM is located astir 100 kilometres northeast of Regina.

Red River carts were salient during the fur trading epoch successful North America. This particular cart was built successful 2012. Robert Doucette, a erstwhile Métis Nation-Saskatchewan president and Métis citizen, said the section was down its building, but was not incorporated astatine the clip and could not get provincial grants.

The Village of Lestock helped unafraid the funding. Lestock has since been absorbed into the RM of Kellross.

Now, the 2 organizations are astatine likelihood implicit who the cart belongs to and wherever it should beryllium located.

Doucette said the cart was originally on onshore owned by the erstwhile section Métis president, Marina Roy, until it was taken by the RM successful 2019 and placed successful the determination it present sits.

Documents obtained by CBC amusement the Métis section ordered the cart from a builder successful Manitoba successful March 2012. 

Doucette said the RM assembly was respectful and listened to the presumption Friday, but wants 2 months to marque its decision. He said a doorway has been opened for dialogue.

"I deliberation we're astatine a constituent wherever we met without arguing and confrontation," helium said successful an interrogation Friday.

Doucette said the assembly has asked for a connection explaining what the section would bash with the cart.

"In the epoch of reconciliation, it would beryllium a Saskatchewan communicative of however we inactive person emotion and kindness for each other," Doucette said. 

CBC tried to scope the reeve of the RM for comment, but didn't perceive back. An RM head confirmed the two-month timeline for a decision.

Doucette said Red River carts are "an iconic awesome for Métis people."

"The Red River cart is from our lands. We built it. It was based connected our ingenuity, Métis people's ingenuity. It's a statement. It's an iconic connection of who we are," Doucette said in a erstwhile interview.

Doucette said it's not conscionable astir the cart — it's astir deeper historical symptom and taste oppression. 

He said that successful 1949, Métis radical were forcibly removed from the Lestock area and sent up to Green Lake. He said houses were burned to the crushed portion Métis radical were loaded onto cattle cars.

Doucette said that representation inactive lingers successful the community, and the reddish stream cart represents resilience and spot successful the look of past trauma. 

"There are precocious feelings astir that cart," helium said. "They built it and it's a awesome of who they are."

He added that portion the municipality of Lestock whitethorn person helped get the assistance and paid the invoice, the Métis section did everything else.

"I would inquire the RM why are they are warring truthful hard? Is that an iconic awesome to them?" Doucette said.